Bossa Nova - Bossa Nova in Pop Music Outside of Brazil

Bossa Nova in Pop Music Outside of Brazil

Over the years the genre of bossa nova has reached beyond its Brazilian and jazz roots, influencing popular music and other popular rhythms.

  • American entertainer Pat Boone scored a hit in 1962 with "Quando, Quando, Quando", with music by Tony Renis and lyrics by Alberto Testa.
  • American jazz musician Dave Brubeck released the album Bossa Nova U.S.A. in 1962, mixing jazz with bossa nova.
  • In 1963, Elvis Presley released the hit song "Bossa Nova Baby". The song's only link with bossa nova, however, is the name, as there is nothing in the musical composition of the song that resembles bossa nova.
  • Also in 1963, Eydie Gorme had a Top 10 hit with the song "Blame It on the Bossa Nova".
  • The Beatles' "And I Love Her" (1964) and The Kinks' "No Return" (1967) are both in the style of bossa nova.
  • In 1967, Frank Sinatra performed several songs with Antônio Carlos Jobim.
  • Also in 1967, The Doors released the hit song "Break on Through (To the Other Side)", which featured a prominent bossa nova style drum beat by drummer John Densmore.
  • The Beach Boys 1968 song "Busy Doin' Nothin'" from their album Friends is in the style of bossa nova.
  • Robert Palmer's 1988 album, Heavy Nova, fused bossa nova rhythms with hard rock and blue-eyed soul.
  • In 1990, alternative-rock band Pixies released the album Bossanova. Other than one line in a lyric followed by a brief overdubbed bossa nova beat, there are no ties to the musical genre.
  • In 1995, George Michael released "Jesus to a Child", a song influenced by the bossa nova style. The song was dedicated to his former lover, Brazilian Anselmo Feleppa (who died in 1993).
  • In 2001, Jamiroquai recorded the song "Corner of the Earth" on the album A Funk Odyssey.
  • In 2006, The Black Eyed Peas recorded the song "Mas Que Nada" on Sérgio Mendes' album Timeless.
  • In 2006, Taiwanese singer Jay Chou recorded the Mandarin-language song "迷迭香" ("Rosemary")
  • Before her solo career, singer Lani Hall sang in the band Brasil '66.
  • José José started his musical career playing the bass and double bass in a bossa nova trio named "Los PEG".
  • Shakira was strongly influenced by bossa nova in her 2005 song "Obtener un sí".
  • In 2009, Russian rapper Timati recorded the song "Bossa" on the album The Boss.
  • Korean hip hop artist DJ Soulscape releases Bossa nova remixes under his "Espionne" alias.

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